This invention relates in general to a control apparatus for communicatively coupling a Touch-tone telephone network to a radio paging system such that the person making the page is capable of initiating and controlling the paging operation from a remote telephone subset.
Radio paging systems are well known in the prior art. These systems are typically comprised of a paging tone encoder circuit for generating a coded paging signal representative of the party being paged, a radio transmitter for transmitting the coded paging signals, and a mobile pager for notifying the bearer of the pager that he is being paged. Upon being notified of a page, the bearer of the pager responds by engaging in a prearranged course of action such as calling a set telephone number to receive further instructions.
The paging tone encoder circuit generates a coded paging signal in response to paging information which designates the person to be paged. This information is provided to the paging tone encoder circuit either manually or automatically. In a manual system, an operator accepts information concerning the party to be paged from the party making the page. The operator then initiates the page by looking up the paging signal corresponding to the designated person and then programming the paging tone encoder circuit to generate the appropriate paging signal. An automatic paging system, on the other hand, employs control circuitry which automatically receives paging information from a calling party over a telephone line. The control circuitry is assigned a telephone number and the party initiates a page by dialing this number. The control circuitry automatically answers the call and accepts paging information from the calling party over the telephone line. This paging information is provided to the control circuitry in the form of a coded sequence of audio tones which are generated by depressing the appropriate buttons on a Touch-Tone dial encoder associated with the calling subset. The control circuitry then decodes the received paging information and automatically programs the paging tone encoder circuit. Once the encoder is properly programmed, the radio transmitter is activated and the paging signal is transmitted to the mobile pagers which are within the range of the transmitter. Each mobile pager is tuned to respond to a different paging signal so that only the receiver corresponding to the transmitted paging signal is activated. The pager responds to its corresponding paging signal by emitting an audible tone or some other appropriate signal.
While automatic radio paging systems are well known in the prior art, none of these systems are capable of restricting access to the paging equipment. In other words, the prior art automatic radio paging systems answer all incoming telephone calls and provide the calling party with direct access to the radio paging system as soon as the phone connection is made. Therefore, any party dialing the telephone number associated with the radio paging system gains direct access to the paging equipment and may intentionally or unintentionally initiate an unauthorized page by depressing the appropriate buttons on his Touch-Tone dial encoder. To improve security, some automatic radio paging systems utilize a large number of code combinations to serve a limited number of mobile pagers to thereby decrease the probability that an unauthorized page will be initiated. This type of security arrangement is very ineffective since there is no guarantee that the calling party will not inadvertently send a code combination corresponding to a mobile pager and is also very inefficient since the paging system is not working up to its maximum capacity.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and control apparatus for communicatively coupling a Touch-tone telephone subset to a radio paging system comprising a paging tone encoder circuit, a radio transmitter, and a plurality of mobile pagers such that access to the paging system is restricted to persons providing a properly coded access signal to the control apparatus. The access signal is comprised of a coded sequence of tone signals which are generated by depressing the appropriate buttons on the Touch-tone dial encoder at the calling telephone subset. The control apparatus of the present invention decodes and validates the received access code before providing the calling party with access to the radio paging system. The access code is validated by comparing the received sequence of tone signals with a coded sequence of tone stored in the control apparatus. If these two groups of signals do not coincide, the calling party is not provided access to the paging system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and control apparatus for communicatively coupling a Touch-Tone telephone subset to a radio paging system comprising a paging tone encoder circuit, a radio transmitter, and a plurality of mobile pagers such that the telephone connection between the calling subset and the control apparatus is automatically broken if a properly coded access signal is not received by the control apparatus within a specified period of time. Upon answering the telephone call, the control apparatus generates an annunciator signal which is sent to the calling party over the telephone network. The annunciator signal informs the calling party that his telephone call has been answered and that the control apparatus is in condition to receive the coded access signal. Upon receipt of a properly coded access signal, the calling party gains access to the paging system and may then send paging information to the control apparatus in the form of a coded sequence of tone signals which are indicative of the party to be paged. These tone signals are generated at the calling subset by depressing the appropriate buttons on the Touch-Tone dial encoder at the calling subset. The control apparatus then decodes the received tone signals and automatically programs the paging tone encoder circuit to generate the appropriate paging signal. Once the paging tone encoder circuit is programmed, the radio transmitter is activated and the paging signal is broadcast causing the pager tuned to the paging signal to respond by generating an alert signal.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and control apparatus for communicatively coupling a Touch-Tone telephone subset to a radio paging system comprising a paging tone encoder, a radio transmitter, and a plurality of mobile pagers wherein voice communication may be maintained between the paging party and the party paged for a specified period of time after the page. The control apparatus includes a master timer circuit which controls the time period for one-way vocal communication between the calling party and the mobile pager. Upon completion of the time period, the control apparatus automatically disconnects the phone connection between the calling subset and the control apparatus, deactivates the paging tone encoder circuit, and shuts off the radio transmitter.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and control apparatus for communicatively coupling a Touch-Tone telephone subset to a radio paging system comprising a paging tone encoder circuit, a radio transmitter, and a plurality of mobile pagers wherein the control apparatus may be placed at a location remote from the radio transmitter of the system. The control apparatus is capable of producing a DC transmitter control signal which controls the operation of the remote radio transmitter. The transmitter control signal and the paging tones which make up the paging signal are then provided to the radio transmitter over a leased telephone line or some other appropriate transmission line which connects the control apparatus to the radio transmitter.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a method and control apparatus for communicatively coupling a Touch-Tone telephone subset to a radio paging system comprising a paging tone encoder circuit, a radio transmitter, and a plurality of mobile pagers such that the licensee of the radio transmitter is capable of maintaining exclusive control over the operation of the transmitter as specified by the rules and regulations of the Federal Communications Commission. The licensee of the radio transmitter is capable of maintaining exclusive control over the operation of the radio transmitter because access to the transmitter is restricted by the control apparatus. The control apparatus restricts access to authorized persons by requiring the calling party to submit a properly coded access signal to the apparatus before acquiring access to the radio paging system. Furthermore, the calling party is capable of controlling the paging operation of the radio paging system from the calling subset. For example, the calling party is capable of discontinuing the paging operation at any time by providing a disconnect signal to the control apparatus. In response to this signal, the control apparatus deactivates the radio transmitter, breaks the telephone connection between the calling subset and the control apparatus, and disables the paging tone encoder circuit. The calling party is also capable of initiating a second page without redialing the telephone number corresponding to the control apparatus by simply sending the access code to the pager a second time. Furthermore, the calling party is capable of resetting the access timer and sending a new access code to the control apparatus if an improper access code was accidentally sent to the control apparatus. Finally, the control apparatus sends the tone signals which make up the paging signal to the calling party as the signals are being transmitted by the radio transmitter. These signals can be used at the calling subset to energize a light thereby providing a visual indication that the radio transmitter is operating.
Other and further objects of the invention, together with the features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the course of the following description.